Closure



K. W. BINDING Feb. 1o, 1953 CLOSURE '5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 20,1949 Feb. 10, 1953 K. w. BINDING 2,627,994

CLOSURE Filed Aug. 20, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wily K. W. BINDING Feb. l0,1953 CLOSURE 5 sheets-sheet :5

Filed Aug. 2Q, 1949 Patented Feb. 10, 1953 CLOSURE Kenneth W. Binding,Medford, Mass., assignor to Market Forge Company, Everett, Mass., acorporation oi' Massachusetts Application August 20, 1949, Serial No.111,475

(Cl. 22o-25) Claims.

This invention relates to doors or closures for containers and moreparticularly to an internal closure for use in pressure cookers,sterilizers and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a closure of the characterdescribed which is simple to operate by even the most inexperiencedoperator and which at the same time insures an a-ccurate and eiectivesealing of the container at each closing operation with a minimumrequirement of effort yand care on the part of the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure which may beeffortlessly unlocked to parti-ally opened position after the cookingoperation has been completed and before the contain-er has beencompletely vented of steam, thereby to speed up production, and which atthe same time insures maximum protection to the operator from steamburns.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure which can bereadily opened to fully opened position with adequate protection to theoperator in spite oi the presence of heat and steam and which alsocompletely eliminates any Idanger of inadvertent or accidental prematureclosing of the closure upon the operators hand or arm.

Still another object of the invention is to p-rovide a closure of thecharac-ter described which makes possible ready access to substantiallythe `whole interior of the container and which at the same tim-e whenfully opened may be accommodated within the container out of the Way ofthe path oi access to the interior.

Further objects of the invention are to provi-de a closure of simple,durable an-d light construction having a minimum of parts within thecontainer and which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

In one aspect the invention involves in combination, in a containerhaving anaperture in its wall, a movable-internal closure, a carrierwithin th-e container operative to move lthe closure to a fully openedposition within the container out ci registry With the aperture, thecarrier being fast to the closure for supporting the closure 'with itsmarginal portion in registry with the margin of the aperture While ineither a closed position or a partially opened position wherein one partof mally operative resiliently to maintain the closure in said partiallyopened position, and means for locking the closure in closed positionagainst the stress of sai-d resilient part. The locking means are on theouter face oi the closure adjacent the said one part of the marginalportion and are independent of the carrier. Said locking means comprisean arm connected at one end on the outer face of the closure, a fulcrumadjacent the said one part of the marginal portion of the closure and acam lever pivotally mounted at the opposite end of the arm releasablyengageable with a cam roll mounted on the wall of the container, wherebypivotal movement of the cam lever in one direction will tilt the armabout the fulcrum to force and lock the closure in closed positionagainst the stress of said resilient part. A movable pin releasably andpivotally connects the arm adjacent one end on the outer face of theclosure and an adjustment member on the arm is engageable with thefulcrum.

In another aspect the carrier is pivotally mounted within the containerand resilient means interconnect the container and carrier normallyoperative to urge the closure to fully opened position when the closureis moved from partially opened position toward fully opened position andto resiliently maintain the closure in said fully opened position.

In a more specic aspect the invention involves a U-shaped carrierpivotally connected adjacent the end of its legs to opposite walls ofthe container, the base of the carrier being resilient. The resilientmeans comprise a pair of springs, each spring of the pairinterconnect-ing one leg of the carrier and an .adjacent Wall of thecontainer.

In vstill another :aspect the invention involves, in a cylinder havingan aperture in an end Wall of substantially the diameter of the`cylinder, a movable internal closure, a carrier within the containeroperative to move the closure to a fully opened position within thecylinder out of registry with the aperture an-d juxtaposed to a sidewall of the cylinder said side wall having spaced outwardly protrudingbulges to accommodate the opposed ends of the closure.

For the purpose of illustration one embodiment of the invention is shownin the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section along the lines 2-2 of Fig. l with Ipartsbroken away;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showingth-e closure in closed position; and

the container, the inside margin of the end wall which defines theaperture constituting a seat for the marginal portion 6, including .a

marginal gasket, of a preferably dome-shaped plate-like closure member iwhen k,the lclosure is in the fully closed position shown in Fig. 2.

The closure is supported bya carrier 8 within the container with itsmarginal portion 6 in registry with the margin 5 of the end wall4 whilein either said closed position or the partially opened position shown indot and dash lines in Fig. 2, wherein the lower part of the marginalportion is in engagement V.with the adjacent margin '5 of lthe end wallyand the upper lpart is in spaced relation to its adjacent margin A5.

The .carrier '8 is of U-shaped construction and comprises relativelyrigid spaced legs -9 and lil pivotally secured adjacent their free endsto opposite side walls of the container by Asuitable means las pivotpins .9c 'and 'Hic screwed into studs il iast .to vthe side wall of thecontainer,

and a relatively flexible resilient base i2. mounted intermediate itsends to the closure 'I by screws i3 so as normally to resiliently`Support the closure in said partially opened position. Movement ot thecarrier upwardly about its pivot pins causes the .closure to be' carriedupwardly from the partially opened position to the fully opened positionshown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2 out of registry with the aperture4 and juxtaposed to the side wall 2, said side wall being formedadjacent the end wall 3 with spaced outwardly protruding `bulges 'I4 toprovide recesses for accommodating the opposite ends I5 vand it of the.closure L U-shaliied springs kligand i8 are connected at one end `l9 tocarrier legs 9 and 'IU respectively, adjacent their pivot vpins 9a andIca, and at the opposite end 2li to studsjzl fast to the side wall ofthe containerJY the springs being so constructed vand arranged .as toexert a pinching force on the carrier legs after an initial movement ofthe closure from partially opened position toward fully opened position.ythereby to urge the closure to fully opened position and resiliently tomaintain the closure in such position against inadvertent or accidentalpremature closing thereof.

'Mounted on 'the outer face of the closure member l by screws 'I3 'is alU -shaped bracket member 22 having outwardly extending legs 23 and 24to which is pivotally mounted one end of yan elongate shell-like larm`25 by suitable means as a pivot -pin 25. The arm thence extendsdownwardly over an outwardly projecting fulcrum 2l fast to the outerface yof the margin of the end wall adjacent `the point `where .thelower part of the marginal portion of the closure is in engagement withthe mar-gin 5 when lthe closure is in partially opened position.

A cam lever 28 having a. handle 29 at one end and a forked member at theopposite end is pivotally mounted adjacent the end of one finger 3() ofthe forked member to the Yopposite end of arm 25 by a pivot pin 3i. Theinner edge of the other finger 3210i the forked member is concave inshape constituting a cam face 33. Down- 4 ward movement of the handle 29when the clo= sure is in the partially opened position causes the camlever to pivot about pin 3l to move the cam face into engagement with acam roll 3d pivotally mounted on a U-shaped support fast to the end wallof the container and projecting outwardly into the path of movement oithe finger 32 as shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2. During this timean adjustment member .comprising an inclined plate 36 adjust-.ably

` mounted on a projecting boss 31 within the arm '25 and intermediateits ends by suitable means as set screws 38 passing through elongateslots 3i? in the plate is in engagement with the fulcrum 2i.

Continued engagement of the cam face with the `earn roll as the handleis moved further downwardly urges the said opposite end of the arm 25inwardly toward the container causing the arm to tilt about the fulcrumforcing the end ofthe arm connected to the closure to move outu wardlyaway from trie container which, in turn, forces the remaining marginalportion Soz" .the closure which is out of engagement with the margin 5to seat in fully closed position against the stress of the resilientbase 12 of the carrier. Continued downward 'movement of the handlecauses the roll 3d to seat at the base of the forked nngers, as shown infull line in Fig. 2, thereby to lock the closure in fully closedposition.

Preferably a butter gasket M is mounted at the inner edge of the margin5 to engage the outer surface of arm -Z when the closure member is infully opened position.

The pivot vpin 26l for pivota'lly mounting the arm 25 .to bracket member22 is provided at one end with'an enlarged head 42 accommodated in anopening 43 provided in one side of the arm. The shank of the pin thenceextends through openings in the legs 23 and 24 of the bracket member 22and a further opening in the opposite side of the arm and is resilientlyheld in this position by means `of the force normally exerted by acoiled spring 44 *fast at one end to the shank of the pin intermediatethe legs 23 and 24 and abutting the inner face of the leg 23 at theopposite end. 'To release'the arm and associated parts from the bracketfor cleaning purposes the end of the pin having the enlarged head is'pulled outwardly against the pressure of the springend away from leg 23until said enlarged portion is beyond the opening 43 at which time theopposite end of the pin has passed through the opening in the oppositeside of the arm to release the same. The arm may then be whollydisengaged from the pin by pulling the one side of the arm outwardlythrough a slot E interconnecting the opening 43 with the outer edge ofthe side of the arm, the slot being of a slightly'larger diameter thanthe shank of the pin.

To unlock and open the container at the end of a cooking operation the:operator need not wait until the container is fullyy vented of steam.

through a venting port (not shown), but merely swings the Vhandleupwardly into the position shown in -dot and dash lines in Fig. 2 whichpivots the cam face .33 about the cam `roll 35, thereby relieving theleverage which has forced the end of the arm connected to the' closureoutwardly from the container. When the steam pressure within thecontainer is reduced sufiiciently to be overcome by the vopposing forceexerted by the stressed resilient base of the carrier, the latter forceWill snap the closure open to the partially opened position permittingthe remaining steam within the container to vent through the spacebetween the upper part of the marginal portion of the closure and itsadjacent margin 5 remote from the operators hand should he be holdingthe handle 29 at that time. The operator then merely disengages the camface from the cam roll by a slight upward swing of the handle at thesame time imparting to the arm a slight upward movement which movementis transmitted through the closure to the carrier |2 causing the springsI8 and I9 to exert their pinching force to urge the carrier and closureto the fully opened position within the container without further eiortor necessity of control on the part of the operator.

When ready for a new cooking operation, the operator merely grasps thehandle and returns the closure to the partially opened position againstthe resiliency of the springs I8 and I9. As the closure approaches thepartially opened position the inclined plate 36 of the adjustment memberengages the fulcrum 21 which causes the arm to be forced slightlyoutwardly which in turn assists in forcing the lower part of themarginal portion 6 of the closure into seating engagement with theadjacent part of the margin 5. The closure is then closed and locked inclosed position in the manner already above described.

To compensate for wear in the closure parts or slight variances in thedimensions of the parts in manufacture the inclined plate 35 may beadjusted longitudinally of the arm in the direction of the cam lever 28by means of slots 39 and set screws 38, thereby to increase the extentto which the end of the arm connected to the closure may be urgedoutwardly away from the container.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that the invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, in a container having an aperture in its Wall, amovable internal closure, a carrier within the container operative tomove the closure to a fully opened position within the container out ofregistry with the aperture, the carrier being fast to the closure andsupporting the closure with its marginal portion in registry with themargin of the aperture while in either a closed position or a partiallyopened position with one part of the marginal portion thereof inengagement with the margin of the aperture and the opposite part of themarginal portion in spaced relation thereto, the carrier having aresilient part normally operative resiliently to urge the closure towardsaid partially opened position within the container, and means connectedto the closure for locking the closure in closed position against thestress of said reslient part.

2. In combination, in a container having an aperture in its wall, amovable internal closure, a carrier pivotally mounted within thecontainer operative to move the closure to a fully opened positionwithin the container out of registry with the aperture, the carrierbeing fast to the closure and supporting the closure with its marginalportion in registry with the margin of the aperture while in either aclosed position or a partially opened position With one part of themarginal portion thereof in engagement with the margin of the apertureand the opposite part of the marginal portion in spaced relationthereto, re-

silient means interconnecting the container and carrier normallyoperative to urge the closure to fully open position when the closure ismoved from said partially opened position toward fully opened positionand to resiliently maintain the closure in said fully opened position,the carrier having a resilient part normally operative resiliently tourge the closure toward said partially opened position, and meansconnected to the closure for locking the closure in closed positionwithin the container against the stress of said resilient part.

3. In combination, in a container having an aperture in its Wall, amovable internal closure, a U-shaped carrier within the containerpivotally connected adjacent the ends of its legs to opposite walls ofthe container and operative to move the closure to a fully openedposition within the container out of registry with the aperture, thebase of the carrier being resilient and fast to the closure andsupporting the closure with its marginal portion in registry with themargin of the aperture while in either a closed position or a partiallyopened position with one part of the marginal portion thereof inengagement With the margin of the aperture and th-e opposite part of themarginal portion in spaced relation thereto, and normally operativeresiliently to urge the closure toward said partially opened position,and means connected to the closure for locking the closure in closedposition within the container against the stress of said resilient base.

4. In combination, in a container having an aperture in its Wall, amovable internal closure, a U-shaped carrier within the containerpivotally connected adjacent the ends of its legs to opposite Walls ofthe container and operative to move the closure to a fully openedposition within the container out of registry with the aperture, thebase of the carrier being resilient and fast to the closure andsupporting the closure with its marginal portion in registry with themargin of the aperture while in either a closed position or a partiallyopened position with one part of the marginal portion thereof inengagement with the margin of the aperture and the opposite part of themarginal portion in spaced relation thereto, and normally operativeresiliently to urge the closure toward said partially opened positionwithin the container, a pair of springs each spring of the pairinterconnecting one leg of the carrier and an adjacent wall of thecontainer and n-ormally operative to urge the closure to fully openedposition when the closure is moved from said partially opened positiontoward fully opened position and to resiliently maintain the closure insaid fully opened position, and means connected to the closure forlocking the closure in Ilclosed position against the stress of saidresilient ase.

5. In combination, in a container of substantially cylindrical shapehaving an aperture in an end wall :of substantially the diameter of thecontainer, a movable internal closure, a carrier within the containeroperative to move the closure to a fully opened position within thecontainer out of registry with the aperture and juxtaposed to a sidewall of the container, said side wall having spaced outwardly protrudingbulges to accommodate the opposed ends of the closure which ends wouldnormally engage the side walls except for said bulges, the carrier beingfast to the closure and supporting the closure with its marginal portionin registry with the margin of the aperture while in either a closedposition or a partially opened position with one part of the marginalportion thereof in engagement with the margin of the aperture and theopposite part of the mara ginel portion in spaced relation thereto, thece1'-4 rier Vhaving e, resilient part normaly operatieve resliently tourge the closure toward saidper tially opened position within thecontainer, and means connected to the closure for looking the closure inclosed position against the stifess of said resilient part.

KENNETH W. INDING.

REFERENCES CITED Number Y 254,872 Saez?? 321,152

Great Bru-,em .-3 .e bet- 25, '1929

